Rigor is not trauma

I once heard a teacher complaining about how difficult the new work was for the students. How hard the problems were, and she was afraid the work would stress the students out.

I replied,

“Never in the history of school, has hard work killed a student.

We Have Confused Discomfort with Damage.

In today’s educational climate, we are quick to protect students from anything that feels uncomfortable. If the text is complex, we simplify it. If the math problem requires multiple steps, we shorten it. If students struggle, we rescue them before they get frustrated.

Let’s be clear.

Trauma is abuse.
Trauma is neglect.
Trauma is instability, violence, hunger, and fear.

Rigorous instruction is not abuse or neglect.
Rigor is demanding effort.
Rigor is requiring students to push through their frustrations.

When we label rigorous work as “harmful,” we unintentionally communicate something dangerous, “You are an emotionally weak human, and we don’t believe you can handle challenging work”

And students begin to believe us.

No one walks into a weight room and expects comfort.

The bar feels heavy.
Muscles burn.
The body strains.

But we don’t call this trauma. We call it training.

Muscles only grow under resistance.
Endurance only improves when there is pressure.
Confidence grows, only after accomplishment.

The brain is no different.

When students wrestle with a complex text…
When they are asked to revise an essay multiple times…
When they solve challenging algebra problems over, and over, rep after rep…

Their cognitive muscles grow. And this growth never feels easy.

Rigor is not trauma. If anything, avoiding rigor is the greater harm.

Because one day, life will demand resilience. And when that moment comes, our students must be able to say: “I’ve pushed through hardships before”

Rigor is not trauma. Rigor is preparation.